NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 347 



Statement op John W. Clark of Behalf of the National Association 

 OF Manufacturers 



My name is John W. Clark, currently a consultant on ocean engineering and 

 a member of the Oceanography Subconnnittee of the Research Committee of the 

 National Association of Manufacturers on whose behalf I am testifying today. 



For the past 2 years, until very recently, I was ocean engineering coordinator 

 with Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus, Ohio, and for the previous 8 years 

 I was with the Nucleonics Division of Hughes Aircraft Co., where one of my 

 responsibilities was the design, development, and construction of remote-control 

 systems. The Weil-Head Mauiinilator or "Robot," which was developed under 

 my direction for one of the oil companies, is an example of an underwater 

 remote-control system. It has been in use in ofifshore oilfields for almost 5 years. 



My appearance here today is to express the association's views in favor of 

 H.R. 9064 by Representative Paul Rogers and others, which would establish a 

 15-meniber study commission, and in opposition to the other bills before this 

 subcommittee. We take this position in spite of our sense of the urgency of 

 developing the ocean's resources. We feel that a greatly expanded effort by both 

 industry and Government is justified; but we do not wish to see this expansion 

 handicapped by premature establishment of a new coordinating or administrative 

 agency. This is particularly true in view of the fact that well over half the cur- 

 rent expenditures in the ocean come from private resources. After a study in 

 depth of the nature and direction of future efforts in the ocean, we will be in a 

 position more adequately to judge the type of legislation that will meet our needs. 



For a number of years this country has had, and continues to have, an oceano- 

 graphic program which is planned and coordinated by the President through the 

 Interagency Committee on Oceanography of the Federal Council for Science and 

 Technology. The membership of the committee includes nine Federal Bureau 

 chiefs representing all agencies of the Government with responsibilities in 

 oceanography. 



The broad goal of this program is : 



"To comprehend the world ocean, its boundaries, properties, and processes, 

 and to exploit this comprehension in the public interest, to enhance our security, 

 culture, international posture, and economic growth." ^ 



The National Association of Manufacturers Oceanography Subcommittee has 

 been investigtaing the diverse field of oceanography and its implications for the 

 future benefits to our Nation and mankind. Our concern covers the broad area 

 of what we have termed "ocean-related business" — defined to be any business 

 whose income is directly or indirectly derived from operation in the ocean but 

 exclusive of shipping, operations of the surface Navy, or those concerned with 

 rivers, harbors, or marinas. 



AVe find that, on a cash flow basis, less than 40 percent of the business was 

 derived from Government expenditures and more than 60 percent was commer- 

 cial in nature during 1963. We estimate that percentagewise there has been 

 little change since. 



In the Government area the largest part is accounted for by the Navy's anti- 

 submarine warfare (research, development, test and evaluation) progi-am and 

 much of the remainder is planned and coordinated through the Interagency 

 Committee on Oceanography. The latter's program is well documented in its 

 annual report. 



The commercial business directly concerned with oceanography is heavily 

 concentrated in tliis country in operations of tlie oil and gas industry and the 

 fishing and byproduct industry. Only about one-tenth is currently generated 

 through production and research for other minerals and recreational activities. 



While the total business generated from oceanographic operations, as defined, 

 is somewhat less than $2 billion annually and about 40 percent of the total in- 

 volved in space exploration, its rate of growth — estimated at 1.5 percent p€r 

 year — is greater than that of the space program. 



It should be pointed out that one strong motivation to develop the ocean is 

 purely economic. The ocean is potentially a source of raw materials : minerals, 

 oil and gas, food products. Increasingly, these will be obtained from oceanic 

 sources at less cost than from land sources. Some of the actions needed before 

 really effective development of the ocean's resources by private enterprise are 

 discussed in the following paragraphs. 



1 ICO pamphlet No. 17, January 1965. 



